| 83 "October 2, 1836. My father, and Uncle John Smith, returned to Kirtland, from their mission to the Eastern States, having traveled about two thousand four hundred miles, and visited nearly all the branches of the church in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. During this mission, they baptized many, conferred blessings upon many hundreds, and preached the gospel to many thousands. They also visited their friends and relatives in the land of their nativity. My cousin, George A. Smith, returned the same day from his mission to Richland County, Ohio. Brother E. C. Kimball returned to Kirtland, having been absent nearly five months, during which time he baptized thirty persons into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, this being in fulfillment of a blessing that I had conferred upon his head before he started on his mission.
"Through the month of October . . . my attention was particularly directed to the building up of Kirtland, and the spiritual interests of the church. And on the 2d of November the brethren at Kirtland drew up certain articles of agreement, preparatory to the organization of a banking institution, to be called the 'Kirtland Safety Society.'
"President O. Cowdery was delegated to Philadelphia to procure plates for the institution; and Elder O. Hyde, to repair to Columbus, with a petition to the legislature of Ohio, for an act of incorporation, which was presented at an early period of their session, but because we were 'Mormons,' the legislature raised some frivolous excuse on which they refused to grant us those banking privileges they so freely granted to others. Thus Elder Hyde was compelled to return without accomplishing the object of his mission, while Elder Cowdery succeeded at a great expense in procuring the plates, and bringing them to Kirtland.
"Forty-four elders' licenses were recorded in the License Records at Kirtland, during the quarter ending December l; also five priests' and one teacher's licenses; by T. Burdick. . .
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